Self-clinching nail



Aug. 15, 1944.

H; s. CUMMINGS SELF-CLINCHING NAIL Filed Oct. 20, 1943 Fig.5.

INVENTOR HARRY G.CUMM|NC5 1%. film-W- ATTORNEY MQ/Q Patented Aug. 1 5.1944

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-CLINCHING NAIL Harry G. CummingaNew York, N. Y. Application October 20,1943, Serial No. 507,223

Claims.

Th invention relates to self-clinching nails. In modern building construction the walls and/or roof of a building may be formed of I matically clinch itself within the transverse section of the material into which itis being driven or on the remote side of the material into which,

it is to be driven.

It is therefore the particular object of I When the nail reaches the position of Fig. 1 its Other objects and advantages will become ap shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the nail completely driven and clinched;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the nail; Fig. 4 isa top plan view illustrating an nate form for the head of the nail;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the partially formed blank from which the nail is made; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevation. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 482,026, filed April 6, 1943.

' Referring again to the drawing the nail comprises two legs, a driving leg is and an auxiliary leg H. These legs are integral with each other and a driving point I2 is preferably formed in'the region where they are bent back on 'each other. The two legs are shown as being in line with and contiguous toeach other for their length and are tree of each other except at their lower connected portion. 7

Prior to the nail being drlven'as illustrated in Fig. 1, the driving leg it extends upwardly beyond the fre end of the auxiliary leg H as indicated at it. The auxiliary leg H is provided Referring alteror head. 14. The head It is integral with and formed as part of the auxiliary leg (which I prefer to call the headed leg) and has sufll-.

cient inherent strength to arrest the movement of .the auxiliary leg when the head contacts the surface of the material into which the nail is being driven. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 the head It may be offset in relation to the auxiliary leg. However if desired it may be located centrally in relation to its leg I I and notched as indicated at ii in Fig. 4 for, the passage of the driving leg l0.

The headed leg I I, is preferably provided with a weakened portion or indentation is somewhat "above the connecting portion I! to make it weaker than the headed leg, although the driving leg Ill may have a longitudinally extending weakened or depressed portion ll Just above the connecting portion to? assist, in supplying the necessary degree of flexibility to this leg, as it should bend near its lower end when clinching.

motion is arrested by virtue of the head it contacting against the surface of'the material into which it is being driven. Further driving of the extension is will cause the headed leg H to bend at the indentation i! as shown in Fig. 2. Naturally the end of the driving leg will tend to follow and the nail is thus firmly clinched in the material. The longltudinally extending weakened portion ill in the driving leg is one means to permit of its more readily bending and provides for the stretch and distortion in the metal during th bending.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the nail is driven into and secures together a plurality of laminations which would be used in modern building construction. The reference numeral 30 may indicate an asbestos shingle, 2 I, a sheet or sheets ofsp'aper or some other analogous material, 22, a layer of gypsum, and 23 a sheet of fibrous material to which the other laminations are secured. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the nail is clinched within thebody of the sheet of fibrous material.

Thus it is not necessary-that any part of the nail at its upper end with a motion arresting portton cs verse side inorder to cause the clinching, and

ther isno possibility of moisture from the inside following the path of the nail and deteriorating the material. However if desired the nail could be clinched entirely in the open on the reverse side of the material into which it is being driven.

Attention is directed tolllgs. 5 and 6 which show the partially formed blank for the nail.

The body of the nail is here shown as formed driving point I! and the indentation l6 and the depression I! may be formed. The driving point If being formed where the legs are bent back on each other provides extra metal for strengthening purposes in this region.

It is understood that the foregoing illustration is given in order that my invention and the best way of producing the same may be readily understood but at the same time this example is not to be taken as a limitation, as the device may be modified in many particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A self-clinching nail comprising a pair of shafts joined together in close proximity to their lower ends, one of said shafts being provided at its upper end with a head formed integral therewith and having suilicient strength and area substantialiy to arrest the movement of the nail when said head contacts the material into which the nail is being driven, the other of said shafts having a driving portion extending beyondsaid fromround stock which is flattened as indicated .in Fig. 6. In the flattening or rolling process the driven, and the two shafts so functioning in relationto each other that continued driving of the driving portion, after said head has contacted the material into which the nail is being driven, will cause the driving shaft to become distorted relative to the headed shaft adjacent its lower end, whereby the nail will be locked into the material into which it is being driven.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which the head is approximately round and is slotted to permit the passage of the driving shaft.

. '3. A structure as specified in claim 1 in which the nail is formed of flattened round stock bent back on itself to form the two legs.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which the two shafts are bent out of a single piece of stock and one of the shafts is weakened adjacent the lower end where the two shafts are united.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, in which the two shafts are bent out of a single piece of stock and both shafts are weakened, with the zone of weakness -of one of the shafts at least in part lying adjacent an unweakened portion of the other shaft before the nail is driven into place, whereby the nature of the distortion is controlled when the nail is driven into place.

HARRY G. CUMMINGS. 

